In this week's Music Highlight, we dive into a unique fusion between jazz, R&B and hip-hop. 'Collagically Speaking', the first studio album from R+R=NOW seems the right choice to talk about, given that yesterday was its five-year anniversary. People of music would raise their eyebrows in surprise at the mention of the band members; Robert Glasper on keys, Terrace Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth and beatbox, and Justin Tyson on drums.
The all-star lineup made waves with this album; with its 11 tracks ebbing and flowing between their individual genres. Critics wrote many good things about the album, like "none of these more pointedly thought-provoking [spoken word] additions detract from the overall flow of the album; rather, they contribute to the album's overall atmosphere of open-minded creativity, love, and empowerment." or "singing, rapping, and spoken-word float through these tracks, as do soulful improvs from Adjuah, Glasper, and others, but what lingers is the overall aura: a seamless blend of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop with a "3 a.m. in the studio" feel."
